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Office of Research and Grant Development

Program Details

Partnerships for Innovation Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) track, 23-538

Sponsor: NSF
Internal Deadline: 02/27/2024
Institutional Submission Limit: 1
Sponsor Deadline: 05/07/2024
Program Website

PFI offers the opportunity to translate prior NSF-funded research results in any field of science or engineering into technological innovations with promising commercial potential and societal impact.

The Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) track focuses on complex, multifaceted technology development projects that are typically beyond the scope of a single researcher or institution and require a multiorganizational, interdisciplinary, synergistic collaboration. A PFI-RP project requires the creation of partnerships between academic researchers and third-party organizations such as industry, non-academic research organizations, federal laboratories, public or non-profit technology transfer organizations or other universities. Such partnerships are needed to conduct use-inspired research on a stand-alone larger project toward commercialization and societal impact. In the absence of such synergistic partnership, the project’s likelihood for success would be minimal.

USC may submit only one (1) new or resubmitted PFI-RP proposal to a deadline of this solicitation. An organization may not receive more than two (2) awards from a submission deadline of this solicitation. This eligibility constraint will be strictly enforced. Please also note PI requirements and limitations.


There are 3 deadlines per year:
 - First Tuesday in May
 - First Tuesday in September
 - First Tuesday in January

WEBINARS: Webinars will be held to answer questions about the solicitation. Registration will be available on the NSF Partnerships for Innovation website (https://www.nsf.gov/PFI). Potential proposers and their partners are encouraged to attend.

Submission Process

Limited submissions MUST be coordinated with the Office of the Vice President for Research.

If interested in applying for this opportunity, email a two-page project abstract, include at top the project title, PI, and list of key collaborators, as well as a 2-3 page CV/biosketch for the PI (SCiENcv preferred) by 5pm on the INTERNAL DEADLINE above to Julie Morris at jmorris@sc.edu.

Office of Research and Grant Development


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